The Hidden Depot Raid
by AliasCWN
Summary: The Rat Patrol is sent to locate a depot that is supplying the German forces. As usual, things don't always go as planned, but our guys are nothing if not resourceful. It's up to our guys to eliminate the base so our troops can win a battle.
1. Chapter 1

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter1

"I suppose that you heard that the Fifth is fighting hard to hold the Germans in their present positions."

Sam Troy and Jack Moffitt nodded their heads.

"The German supply line from their main supply depot has been cut, leaving them short of supplies, including ammunition and gasoline." Captain Boggs drew lines on the map with his finger. "The problem is, the Germans are still getting those supplies. Now if we could find out where those supplies are coming from," he turned to face the two sergeants, " and cut that line, the Fifth can push them back. And by we, I mean you. I want you to resupply your jeeps and leave immediately, every hour we wait is costing lives." The Captain straightened from leaning over the map and reached for a dispatch lying next to it. "There have been some reports of trucks seen in an area south of here. Check out the area and see if there is any sign of a depot hidden around there." He handed the dispatch to Troy to read who handed it to Moffitt after he was finished.

"What do you want us to do Captain? Should we call it in or take it out?" Troy flashed a grin at Moffitt as he ask. They had a side bet going as to just what would be ask of them.

"Take it out Sergeant. The flyboys are busy helping the Fifth. Besides, if it is there, it's pretty well hidden. Our spotter planes haven't been able to find even a trace of it."

Troy nodded solemnly. "They're probably using rakes to erase their tracks and only going in or out after dark. They'll keep everything buttoned down tight during the daylight hours."

"That much we figured out all by ourselves Sergeant. Now if you can locate it, and destroy it, the Fifth can get on with the job of pushing Jerry clear out of this sector."

"We'll do our best Sir." Troy responded.

"I've done some camping in that area, I have a few ideas about where to look." Jack Moffitt placed the dispatch on top of the map and took a step back.

"Then get going, our boys are dying out there."

The two sergeants saluted and left the office. Captain Boggs watched them leave with a frown on his face. He was asking a lot of the four men and he knew it. If the Germans did have a secret base to resupply their troops, it would be heavily guarded, and the four men would be badly outnumbered. He was still worrying a half hour later when he heard the jeeps pass his office on their way off the base. "God speed and good luck, you're going to need it!' He thought to himself as the sound of the engines faded into the distance.

"Alright, you win." Jack Moffitt handed Sam Troy the equivalent to a five dollar bill.

"You aren't going to be a sore loser are you?" Troy teased, tucking the money into his shirt pocket.

"How did you know?" Moffitt was referring to their orders.

"It just makes sense. The Germans are getting supplies from somewhere and it's pretty common knowledge that the flyboys are being kept busy keeping the krauts from sending reinforcements." Troy shrugged.

The two of them made their way to the motor pool where the privates had automatically begun to resupply the jeeps. Tully was discussing an issue with his jeep with one of the mechanics, trying to get a spare part in case they needed it. Hitch saw them coming and quickly dropped the hood on his jeep and strapped it down.

"Hey Sarge, what did the Captain want?" His smile faded as he saw the look on their faces. "He canceled our leave again didn't he?" Hitch didn't even wait for an answer before making a disappointed noise.

"Try not to take it too hard lad, the girls will still be there when we get back." Moffitt smiled at the blond.

"They'll probably forget they promised us one by then." The private grumbled.

Troy grinned and shook his head, once they were on the move his driver would forget all about his disappointment. Until then, they had plenty to do before they could leave.

"Did you restock our ammo and rations?"

"We were just about to Sarge. The jeeps are refueled, we filled all the jerry cans and we managed to con the mechanics out of new tires for both jeeps." Hitch smiled mischievously, "We told them you would bring the requisitions."

With a shake of his head Troy groaned. "I'll have to call Captain Boggs and have them sent over. Apparently we forgot to pick them up on our way out." Troy wasn't really angry, they had needed the tires.

"That's okay Sarge, we told them you might get side-tracked and forget. That happens to you old guys sometimes." Hitch was grinning now, his disappointment forgotten, as he heckled his sergeants.

Ignoring the comment since it took the youths mind off their canceled leave, Troy gave them their new orders. "We have orders to resupply and pull out right away. Make a list of what we need and let me check it before you take it to Supply."

"Right Sarge." Hitchcock answered, popping a bubble for emphasis. He walked to his jeep for a pencil and paper then sat on his hood to start the list.

"Tully!"

Tully made one last plea to the mechanic before he answered Troy's summons. Slouching over to the sergeant, he looked glum.

"What's going on?" Troy looked from his private to the mechanic. The mechanic didn't look any happier than Tully.

"I wanted a couple of extra spark plugs for the jeep, mine are getting fouled. He," Tully jerked a finger toward the mechanic, "says we don't have a requisition order for them and we already got tires without one. He won't give me any."

"Do we really need them?"

Tully shook his head. "Maybe. Can't be sure we're going to need them until we do, and then we're going to need them. If they go bad while we're out in the desert we can kiss that jeep good-bye."

"You can't fix the others to last a little longer?"

"It doesn't work that way Sarge."

"Then I'll ask the Captain to add them to our list."

Tully grinned, happy again. "The jeeps are ready to go then. We just need to get some supplies for us."

"It's a bit demeaning to know that the jeeps come first Tully." Moffitt remarked.

"They take us where we need to go Sarge." Tully explained seriously. "If they don't go, we don't go."

"I know Tully, I just never thought that I would be considered less valuable than a jeep."

"Don't look at it that way Sarge." His driver insisted. "Think of it as taking care of all of us together before we take care of any one of us individually. Those jeeps keep us all alive, without them, we'd all die."

Both sergeants smiled at the lanky private's logic. Trust him to come up with a way to make his beloved jeep invaluable.

"He's got a point." Troy agreed with a grin.

Defeated, the British sergeant threw his hands up in mock surrender. "I stand corrected….again. Luckily I didn't make any bets with Tully. I bow to your superior wisdom in this regard." He bowed repeatedly as the others laughed. The light-hearted moment soon passed as Hitchcock interrupted.

"Here Sarge." Hitchcock handed his finished list to Troy.

Borrowing the pencil, Troy added eight tires and six spark plugs to the list. Handing it back, he indicated both Hitch and Tully should take it to Supply. "Have them contact Captain Boggs, he'll authorize it over the phone since he wants us out of here as soon as possible. Get the supplies and hurry back. We'll leave as soon as we have everything loaded."

"Right Sarge." Hitch acknowledged the order and rushed away with Tully on his heels.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

The two jeeps raced side by side across the desert, making a wide circle to confuse any spies in the area. They didn't want the Germans to know where they were headed, this mission required that they remain under the radar. When one is looking for a secret base, one needed to be rather sneaky about it. It wouldn't do to alert the base security that they were in the area.

While the jeep engines cooled Troy and Moffitt studied a map they had spread across a large boulder. Their direction of travel had been discovered by a spotter plane who had caught them where they had nowhere to hide. The pilot had shadowed them for a short time before continuing on his way. Troy had immediately ordered a change of direction, expecting the pilot to radio their coordinates to ground forces. They had neither the time or inclination to dally with any welcoming committee the Germans might send their way. It amused Troy to imagine them lying in wait in the hot sun for a patrol that never arrived. They plotted a new course to get them to the original destination, hoping to avoid another sighting.

"This is the general area of the battle." Moffitt drew a circle on the map with his finger. "Here," he pointed at an 'x' on the map, "is the base that used to supply them. The Captain said that they were cut off now. The dispatch suggested that the trucks were coming in from the west, only there is nothing but low hills and empty desert out there."

"Maybe the base is underground." Troy suggested.

The Brit shook his head in the negative. "The ground is too unstable; they would need to reinforce the walls and the ceilings. That would require a great deal of cement and wood and heavy equipment. I find it hard to believe that they could have kept it a complete secret from our spies. Surely some rumors would have leaked out."

"Maybe." Troy cocked his head in thought. "So if it isn't there, where is it?"

Moffitt's dark eyes lit up at the question. "I believe it's here." He pointed to a line of hills indicated on the map. "There are caves all along this ridge; a few big ones and a whole series of small ones. They wouldn't even have to reinforce them, they're quite stable. Supplies could be stored in those caves, as well as trucks, troops and whatever else was needed. They're located along this valley, making them easy to defend. There are a limited number of ways in and out, only one suitable for heavy trucks."

"Sounds like just the kind of place we're looking for." Troy studied the map, memorizing the details. "Just how do we get in?"

"That, old man, is the question." Moffitt replied tongue-in-cheek. "I suppose we will have to figure that one out once we have confirmed that it is the target we are seeking."

Hitch chose that moment to approach with a canteen. They accepted the drink gratefully.

"Where's Tully?"

"He just relieved me on watch, said he already had a drink and the jeeps were ready to go." Hitchcock recapped the canteen and returned it to the jeep.

"So we check out the valley?" Moffitt ask with a tilt of an eyebrow.

"We check out the valley." Troy agreed. "Lead on Doctor." With a low whistle Troy called Tully from watch to return to his jeep. "Let's shake it!"

With a lurch forward and dust flying from under the tires, the little band continued their hunt.

The sun had reached its zenith by the time they met their next challenge. Still running a wide circle to their destination, Tully spotted some smoke ahead.

Troy had them find a high point where they could scan the desert for any enemy patrols. When Hitch stopped the jeep just short of the crest of the hill, Troy was instantly on the ground crawling to the top. A convoy or a patrol in the area could spot them and blow the entire mission. Field glasses in hand, he kept low until he reached the top where he scanned the entire desert floor below them.

Off in the distance an American jeep was sending up a small, but steady, plume of oily black smoke. Troy could see someone moving around near the jeep, along with a still figure on the ground nearby.

Ignoring the wreckage for the moment, he studied the surrounding terrain for any other movement. The hills in the area were low, barely more than dunes. Troy wasn't fooled; he knew that even low hills could hide enemy vehicles or troops. He knew from experience; they'd hidden in enough of them to be an expert. Even the lack of tracks didn't lull him into a sense of security; his own jeeps were carrying rakes to erase their tracks.

"Tully, Moffitt." Troy looked behind him to the other jeep where Moffitt manned the 50. Tully sat calmly at the wheel, chewing on his matchstick. Looking at them, one would hardly guess that they were about to go into battle, or at least the threat of battle. Two sets of eyes centered on him as he called their names. "Swing out around and come in behind those dunes. Stay alert, we may have a welcoming committee back there." Two heads nodded in unison. "Hitch and I will check the dunes on the other side. Don't go near the jeep until you get the all clear and we can go in together." They nodded again and Tully's jeep roared to life.

Tully and Moffitt started around the end of the hill before Troy made it back to his own jeep. Hitch had the engine started and the dust cover off the 50. "Don't take any unnecessary chances Hitch, something feels off here."

Hitchcock nodded and the jeep surged forward. Troy gripped the handles on the 50 to keep from falling.

The two teams checked every dune and wadi in the area looking for the enemy or any sign of their recent presence. They found nothing, the wadis were empty and there were no tracks to be found. With a wave of his arm and a signal to Moffitt to keep his eyes open, Troy directed Hitch to approach the burning jeep.

As they made their approach two men jumped to their feet and began waving their arms wildly at them. The third person they had spotted remained unmoving on the ground next to some scrub brush which offered minimal shade.

Troy's eyes were darting back and forth between the men constantly. The area just around the jeep was flat, offering no place for anyone to hide. As they got closer he could see the blood covering the front of the uniform on the third man. The other two seemed to be unharmed and happy to see them. He had Hitch stop well clear of the other jeep until he could examine the situation. "Man the 50. I'm going to see what kind of story they have to tell."

Hitch nodded and climbed into the back of the jeep. He sat on the spare tire and took a firm hold on the handles of the heavy machine gun. His jaw worked his gum slowly as he watched Troy approach the two strangers.

Troy reached for a Thompson and walked slowly toward the jeep. Both men had lost their happy smiles and now watched him warily. They began to take a step back for every one that Troy took forward.

"Who are you?" Troy stopped near the smoking jeep and watched their eyes. His gaze flickered toward the third man briefly, assessing the threat.

One of the men stepped forward; he bore the air of someone used to giving orders. "I'm Corporal David Rush. This is Pvt. Phil Hartman." He waved toward the third man who still had not moved. "Our friend here is Pvt Kevin Davies. Kevin needs a doctor, he's hurt real bad."

Troy tried to place the accent but failed. "Where are you from Rush?"

"New Mexico Sergeant. My folks run a little grocery store in my hometown." The other man fidgeted nervously. "Do you have a medical kit we can use? Kevin really needs a doctor."

Troy waved Tully and Moffitt in, leaving Hitch on the 50.

"Anything we can do to help?" Moffitt ask as soon as he climbed out of the jeep.

"They've got a wounded man, see what you can do." Troy instructed, not taking his eyes from the two men.

Moffitt returned to the jeep and Tully handed him the medical kit. He crossed to the wounded man slowing as he got near. Kneeling next to him, he reached out a hand to check for a pulse. The skin was cold and clammy despite the desert heat. With a sigh, Moffitt rose to his feet, tucking the medical kit under his arm. "Are you two alright?"

The other two nodded, watching him warily.

"There is nothing I can do for him, he's dead I'm afraid."

Both men reacted to the news in a strange manner, they seemed relieved.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Troy demanded suspiciously.

"We delivered a dispatch and were on our way to join our outfit. That jerry patrol hit us from out of nowhere. Poor Kevin got hit in the first volley before we could outrun them. Thank goodness we lost them before our jeep quit; I think the engine may have caught a bullet. We thought we were dead until you guys came along. We sure are glad to see you."

Troy relaxed, their story was plausible. "You can come with us, we're not heading back right away, but we'll drop you off somewhere safe."

The two men smiled their thanks as they nodded in agreement.

"We'll take your buddy with us and bury him after we get away from here. That smoke will draw every kraut for miles."

"That's alright Sergeant, we can tell headquarters where to find the body and they can send a burial detail." The Corporal hurried to explain.

Troy shook his head. "We're too far behind German lines. No burial detail will come this far to get him. We'll take care of it." When the two men didn't move, Troy grew impatient. "Load him into the jeep, we need to move!" Troy watched with disgust as the two men threw their buddy into the jeep like a sack of potatoes. He hoped that if he were killed, his men would handle his body with more respect than these men showed their friend.

They buried the body a few miles from where they picked him up. Troy said a few words over him, angered that his so called friends were not willing to do even that much for him. Hitch and Tully dug the grave and wrapped the body in a blanket. They stayed behind to fill the grave, not in any hurry to spend time with the two men they had picked up.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

"So where are we going Sergeant?" Corporal Rush ask for the third time.

Troy had given him a vague answer the first time and had just ignored him the second time. "We have an assignment Corporal, we need to know, and you don't. Just sit back and relax, we'll get you home."

The Corporal frowned but did as he was told.

Troy noticed him studying the terrain as they drove. Several times he acted as if he recognized something in their surroundings. The seed of doubt had been planted in Troy's mind and it had taken root, refusing to be put to rest. Waving Tully alongside, he called across to Moffitt. "You and Tully circle around and see if you can find any sign of that German patrol. If they're still in the area, I want to know about it. Hitch and I will find that wadi we picked out on the map and set up camp. We'll see you when you get back. If you run into trouble, try to outrun it rather than fight."

"Right Troy. Luck!" Moffitt called cheerfully and punched Tully on the shoulder. The other jeep broke away and started to circle back the way they'd come. They had only gone a few hundred yards before they swung around and stopped in front of Hitchcock's jeep. The passenger they'd acquired slid out of their jeep and waited for Hitchcock to stop. Moffitt gave another cheerful wave and they were off.

The blond stopped long enough for the fourth man to find a seat in the jeep before he hit the gas pedal.

Both of the new men clung to the jeep for dear life, afraid to let go for fear of falling out. It jerked and bounced across the desert floor throwing them off balance every other hop. Since neither of them wore goggles they also had to contend with sand blowing into their eyes and faces. They both sighed with relief when the 'crazy' driver slowed the jeep and pulled into a wadi and shut the motor off.

"What are we doing here?" Rush ask with suspicion.

"We're camping for the night." Troy said without looking up from his task.

"What about your friends?"

"They'll join us later." The sergeant looked around to locate his driver. "Hitch, give the 50 a good cleaning. I'll take first watch, you can relieve me when we're done."

"Right Sarge." The bubble popped right on cue as Troy turned away. Hitch unlocked the bolts holding the big gun and lifted it from the jeep. Pulling a rag and some oil from the back, he found a spot in the shade and tore the gun down to wipe the parts clear of the fine sand.

Troy clawed his way to the top of the ridge above them and kept his eyes on the barren terrain around them. If Moffitt was correct, and Troy was confident that he was, the German base was nearby. The hills in the distance were high enough to have caves in them. The Germans were fond of using caves for storage and as bases for their troops. They favored the dry mountain caves over the open desert for protection from the elements. Troy decided that they would leave the two extra men behind while they did a little exploring after dark. He glanced at the sun and noted that it would be dark soon.

He heard the rattle of the big gun as Hitch replaced the 50 on its mount. Moments later he heard the blond struggle to climb the steep slope to where Troy watched. "Everything okay?" He ask as Hitch reached for his rifle. His driver seemed uneasy and that made him uneasy.

"Those new guys are strange." Hitch answered, peering down into their camp. "Something is off Sarge."

Troy nodded, following his gaze. " I felt it too, but I can't put my finger on it."

"They sure didn't have much sympathy for that friend of theirs that we buried earlier."

Troy shrugged. "Maybe they didn't get along all that well. Just because you serve together doesn't mean that you have to like each other. "

"Do you like me Sarge?"

"Nope." Troy answered with a straight face. At Hitch's grin, he had to laugh himself. "Really Hitch, maybe they didn't like him or know him very well. It happens. Some guys try not to make friends because they've lost too many already."

The blond frowned but reluctantly nodded. "I understand that Sarge, but this feels different." He shrugged and stared out into the desert. "Sarge." Troy had started to slide down the hill.

'Yeah?"

"I pulled the firing pin on the 50. I had a real weird feeling about those guys. If you want I can put it back."

Troy studied his driver's serious face, noticing that he hadn't popped any bubbles during the entire conversation. "Later Hitch, let it be for now."

Hitchcock nodded and continued to keep watch, his mind on the camp below.

Troy slid the rest of the way to the bottom of the slope and headed to the jeep for a canteen. He noticed that the second machine gun was missing from its holster. Thinking that Hitch may have hidden that too, he wondered what else the blond had done under the impression that he was protecting them. He didn't look for the missing gun, not wanting to draw attention to its disappearance. Keeping an eye on the new men, he pulled the map case out and began making random marks on the map to disguise their real mission. Maybe they were just being paranoid but it felt right.

He was putting the maps away when he located the second machine gun; it was in the hands of Corporal Rush.

"Don't move or shout Sergeant, I won't hesitate to use this" The barrel was pointing at his chest.

Troy froze, waiting to see what would happen. "You can't find your way out of here alone. Most people get themselves lost on the desert."

The Corporal laughed and waved his friend toward the jeep. Pvt. Hartman climbed into the back of the jeep and gripped the handles of the 50. Pointing it at Hitch, he pulled the trigger. He cursed in German as the gun refused to fire. He cleared the slide and tried again.

Hitch, hearing the German, looked toward the camp.

"Don't move Private or your sergeant dies. Drop your weapon and raise your hands." Corporal Rush spoke rapidly in German to Pvt. Hartman who hurried up the hill toward the blond. Pvt. Hartman picked up the gun that Hitchcock had dropped and pointed it at the American private.

Helpless, Hitch watched as Corporal Rush knocked Troy unconscious with the rifle barrel and searched him for weapons. Using rope from the jeep, he tied the sergeant hand and foot before dragging him out of sight among some low brush.

"What now?" Hitchcock ask Pvt. Hartman. He expected to be shot since they had already tried to kill him with the 50 caliber.

"Now we wait for your friends to return. They'll expect to see someone on guard. They might be suspicious if it's one of us so you will stay here where they can see you." The German took shelter among the boulders. "Remember Private, one wrong move, or if you try to warn them, your sergeant will die."

Hitch nodded and turned to stare out into the desert. He knew about where to expect them to appear, he just needed a plan to warn them that wouldn't get Troy killed.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

"I guess we should head back, I don't see any sign of any patrol." Jack Moffitt rubbed his tired eyes and leaned forward to talk to his driver.

"What about those dunes out there?" Tully pointed to a low string of dunes at least a mile away.

Moffitt frowned at the suggestion; he'd considered them but decided it would be a waste of time. Now, with Tully considering them too, he wondered if they might be worth checking.

Tully, seeing his expression, read his thoughts correctly and shrugged. "Can't hurt Sarge. We have time before I gets dark, can't do much until then anyway."

""Alright." Moffitt nodded, making his decision, "Swing wide and let's take a look."

"You're the boss." His driver grinned. Despite believing that the dunes were deserted Tully made sure to swing wide around the end of the base of the hill. Expecting to see only empty sand, they weren't disappointed. Tully drove the entire length of the ridge of dunes without spotting any troops or vehicles of any kind.

"Okay Tully, let's head back. I think we can safely assure Troy that the patrol cars kept going."

Tully nodded and turned toward the heading that would take them to their camp. Something caught his eye and he swerved to check it out.

Moffitt grabbed the base of the 50 for support when Tully swerved. He was about to ask what he was doing when the jeep stopped. Looking down, he could clearly see what has caught the young private's eye. Right next to the jeep were tire tracks only partially erased by the sand rake the vehicle had been dragging. Moffitt climbed out of his jeep to study the tracks. There was a deep frown on his face when he stood up to look at his driver.

"We need to check out the jeep those guys were driving."

Moffitt nodded his agreement and without a word he pulled himself into the jeep behind the 50 caliber machine gun. Adjusting his goggles, he nodded to Tully that he was ready.

Tully found the abandoned jeep with no problem. Their usual practice was to drop a grenade into a jeep when they left it so the Germans couldn't salvage anything, this time they had decided not to announce their presence with an explosion. Tully was glad they hadn't destroyed the jeep in this instance. The fire had long since burned out but the air still smelled of burnt oil and smoke. The lanky Kentuckian was out of the jeep as soon as it stopped. The British sergeant watched from behind his 50 in case they had any unfriendly company.

Walking slowly around the abandoned vehicle, Tully frowned and knelt next to it for a closer look. Next he lifted the hood and checked the engine. There was a dark, forbidding expression on his face as he slammed the hood. Moffitt jerked at the angry sound, resigned to what he knew Tully was about to tell him.

"They said they were chased and that other guy got hit on the run. Sarge, there aren't any bullet holes in the sides of that jeep." Tully turned to stare at the vehicle as if it could talk. "They said the engine took a hit and they were right about that."

Moffitt waited for the rest of what he knew was coming.

"There's a bullet hole in the engine block; that jeep didn't go anywhere after that bullet hit though. It dang sure didn't outrun any kraut patrol with that hole in there." Tully paused for breath, angry and worried. "And there aren't any bullet holes in the hood or the fenders; now just how do you suppose that hole got in the engine without going through either the hood or the fender?"

"We have to get back fast, Troy and Hitch may be in trouble." Moffitt's softly spoken words were directed at the back of Tully's head as he slid into the seat of his jeep and hit the starter. The jeep roared away with both men silently praying that their friends were still alive.

The compass in his hand guided Tully across the open ground toward the wadi that Troy and Moffitt had chosen as a meet point. Moffitt had shown him a map of the area and Tully had chosen a route that he thought would keep them out of sight. He slowed to round every corner, not sure where the German patrol would be, but certain that they were still in the area. He pulled into a wadi before dark and waited as Moffitt climbed the ridge.

Using his binoculars, Moffitt scanned the area where he knew Troy and Hitchcock should be camped. A slight movement caught his eye and he focused his glasses on that spot. After a moment his eyes adjusted and he could make out the back of the blond as he stood on the ridge standing watch. Hitch was looking down into the wadi, a rather odd way to stand guard. Occasionally he would look to the side but he never turned to check out the surrounding desert. Moffitt carefully crawled back to Tully and the jeep, hugging the field glasses so they wouldn't reflect the sun and give them away.

"We're too late, they're already prisoners."

Tully watched Moffitt's return with trepidation. The first words out of the sergeant's mouth were the ones he had dreaded to hear.

"I didn't see Troy but Hitch is standing on watch. He kept his back to the desert and kept staring down into the camp. He wasn't holding a rifle and he kept turning to look beside him. There must be someone with the rifle hiding behind him."

Tully nodded, chewing his matchstick into tiny shreds. "He'd never turn his back to the desert unless something was wrong. If it's only the two of them, maybe we could sneak up on them after dark and rescue Troy and Hitch."

"We'll have to wait and watch Tully. Obviously they're expecting us so we can't just go barreling in to the rescue. That patrol worries me though, just where are they and what are they up to?"

Tully stayed close to the jeep in case they had to run in a hurry. He busied himself filling the radiator and the gas tank.

Moffitt returned to the ridge to keep an eye on the others. He saw Hitch turn to look out into the desert for a moment, still not holding a gun. There was a slight movement behind the blond that was gone as soon as he saw it. There was no way he could alert Hitch to their presence without alerting the other men.

The sun set and darkness crept across the sand, cooling it and creating a stiff breeze to blow sand all around. Afraid the jeep engine would give them away, Tully and Moffitt crept across the desert on foot, keeping to the depressions and shadows as much as possible. The ridge where Hitchcock had stood all evening was just ahead. Moffitt started to pick his way up to the top only to be stopped by Tully.

Tully put his finger to his lips and dropped to the ground.

Following his example, Moffitt pressed his ear to the ground. Using a trick he had learned as a child on the desert, he listened to the sounds of the activity on the other side of the dune. The trickle of sand told him that there were more than just four men in the dark camp in the wadi. He could hear the unmistakable sound of tires on sand. When the wind would die down for a moment he could hear the sound of more than one engine. With a start he realized that there was at least one truck with the Germans on the other side of the hill, confirming his suspicions that this was all part of a preplanned trap.

The two commandos remained where they were and continued to listen to the sounds from the wadi. Voices called out in German in hushed tones. Gradually the sounds faded and the desert became deathly quiet.

Tully raised his head and studied the ridge above them. "I think they're gone Sarge."

Moffitt rose to his feet. "Shall we go see just what it is we're up against?" He started up the hill, followed by a wary, silent Tully.

The camp was empty when they got there. They found Hitch's red cap lying between some boulders; missed by the Germans who had scoured the camp for evidence of their presence. Of Troy, Hitch and the jeep, only the hat remained.

Moffitt quickly began searching for tracks, finding the marks of the rakes already being erased by the wind. Determining their general direction, he ordered Tully to go back and retrieve the jeep. He set out on foot to follow the tracks before the wind could make them completely unreadable. When Tully caught up to him, the two of them cautiously followed the tracks across the desert into the night.

The hills looming in front of them alerted Moffitt to their location. Realizing that they were close to where he suspected the German base was located, he scouted ahead on foot, hoping that the sentries would not be looking for a lone man lurking in the shadows. He needed to locate the guards before they spotted him or the jeep.

The sentry actually gave his position away by sneezing while Moffitt was still more than fifty feet from him. Dodging behind some rocks, he watched as the sentry shifted his position and settled himself between two boulders. Satisfied that he had located the base, Moffitt turned and faded into the night to rejoin Tully and find a place to hide the jeep until they could plan their next move. Grateful that their own jeep had a rake, he reminded himself to tell Tully to be sure to drop it to cover their trail.

Using the map, a compass, and a well-shielded pen light, they slowly circled the line of hills to an old camel route that would take them to the ridge above the German base. Thinking that the Germans would concentrate their attention on the flat desert in front of the camp as opposed to the hills behind them, they planned to set up their camp in a small mountain cave. The sun was just coming up by the time they found their shelter and set up their camp.

Tully hid the jeep in a gully with the camouflage net carefully thrown over the top. He added dead brush to help with the deception. Crawling into their tiny cave, he handed Moffitt a canteen. In his other hand he held several packets of k-rations. Straining to see in the pre-dawn light, he handed one of the meals to the sergeant. "This one has meatloaf and the others have either chicken or spam, I'm not sure which is which."

"Thanks Tully, I'll eat later." Moffitt tucked the packet into the blanket next to his leg.

"They're not going to be any safer if you go hungry Sarge. In fact, keeping up your energy would be better for all of us." With that, the young soldier opened his own meal and began to eat without any enthusiasm.

"I know Tully, I just wish I knew where they were."


	5. Chapter 5

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 5

The faint sound of a jeep engine reached his ears and he glanced at the German with the rifle pointed at him. Hidden behind the rocks, Pvt. Hartman hadn't heard the engine. Hoping to warn them, Hitch kept his back to the desert and began talking to hide the sound.

"Who are you guys anyway? You're not American, I got that much figured out."

"You don't need to know." The one who called himself Hartman growled.

"What are you going to do with us?"

The man didn't answer right away and Hitch worried that he had heard the jeep engine after all. Finally he must have decided that it wouldn't matter if the prisoners knew their fate. "You will be taken to our base and questioned. Our commander will want to know what you are doing in this part of the desert."

"We're just a scout party." Hitch explained. "We're looking for a good place to set up a new base for our new offensive." There was no new offensive but Hitchcock figured that the Germans didn't need to know that. Maybe he could make them nervous and they would get careless.

"What offensive?"

The blond shrugged. "Don't know, I just heard some rumors and then we were sent out to look for a place to set up a base camp."

The German eyed him suspiciously. "Why would you tell me this?"

"There's nothing that is going to make a difference." He couldn't hear the jeep engine anymore. "All I have are rumors and you know how unreliable they can be."

"Your sergeant will know more."

Hitch shook his head. "I didn't tell Sarge about the rumors because he doesn't like us to repeat them. He doesn't believe them unless he hears it from headquarters. I ask, he hasn't heard anything yet. All he knows is that we were supposed to find a home for the new base."

"He lied to you; a sergeant would never share anything important with his men."

"No." The blond argued. "Maybe in the regular army, but our sergeant isn't like that. He tells us and he doesn't lie to us."

The German made a face, unconvinced. "We will ask both of you, one of you will talk."

Worried that he might have made trouble for Troy, Hitch remained silent until after the sun had set.

A call from the camp had Pvt. Hartman herding Hitch toward the jeep. Corporal Rush pulled an uncooperative Troy out of the brush where he had dumped him earlier. Troy spotted Hitch and ceased to struggle. Their eyes met and Hitch gave a barely discernable nod. Troy relaxed, letting the fake corporal drag him bodily through the camp. The two Americans were tied to the jeep while the two Germans went off to talk in private.

"Sarge." Hitch whispered urgently. "I told them that we were a scouting party sent to find a good location for a new Allied base for an upcoming offensive. Said I heard rumors of another offensive in the works. I told him that I didn't mention the rumors to you because you don't like us to repeat them and that you don't believe them until you hear it from headquarters."

Troy stared at Hitch in surprise.

"I had to tell them something Sarge. I heard Tully's jeep and I had to talk to cover the sound so they didn't hear it. I tried to warn them. I think they got the message."

"When was this?"

"About an hour ago, maybe a little more."

Troy was about to ask another question when they heard the sound of engines approaching. He listened a moment before he made an announcement. "Kraut patrol cars. Sounds like they have a truck or two with them too."

"Tully and Moffitt can't handle all those krauts." The blond muttered in frustration.

The return of Corporal Rush ended their chance to talk. The German glared at them and warned them to stay quiet. The patrol cars and two trucks pulled into the wadi where German soldiers began to pile out. Corporal Rush went to talk to the commanding officer after waving the troops toward the prisoners and their jeep. The officer listened to his report before approaching the prisoners to stare down at them.

"Where are your companions? Lt. Kline says that they should have returned by now."

"Who?"

"Your companions." The officer repeated.

"No, I mean, who is Lt. Kline?" Troy raised his eyes to look at the officer defiantly. Troy grinned at the flash of anger in the officer's eyes.

"Your companions Sergeant?" The German repeated angrily.

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know where they are, probably lost. It's pretty easy to get turned around out here in the desert. They'll find their way back eventually: either that or they'll find their way home." The officer kicked at him and his boot connected with the sergeant's collar bone. Troy felt and heard the bone snap. Holding back a groan, he smiled at the enraged German.

The officer spun to face Hitch, who was tied next to his sergeant. "Perhaps you will be more helpful?"

"Sorry." Hitch answered, "Tully's compass is broken and he didn't have time to get a new one. I'm not worried though, they have plenty of water." He gave a grunt as the boot connected with his ribs. The officer stomped away in a rage."

The Germans collected everything they found in the camp and threw it into the jeep.

Troy and Hitchcock were untied and shoved toward the back of the truck. Darkness had fallen and they stumbled as they made their way to the rear. Troy grunted as a German grabbed his arm to catch him and pushed him forward. The prisoners were prodded into the bed of the truck and forced onto the floor. Their ankles were tied and blindfolds were placed over their eyes. The trucks lumbered off into the desert with their human cargo, headed for a mysterious destination. Troy could hear the heavy rakes dragging behind the vehicles as they traveled across the sand. After a while their small group met up with a larger convoy and their truck fell into line with the others. With the blindfold in place, Troy had no idea in which direction they were moving; even if they did manage to escape, they would still be lost.

The troops in the trucks laughed and joked among themselves and occasionally one would kick out at one of the prisoners. Troy tried not to fall against anyone but the bouncing was jarring the broken collar bone. He bit down hard on his lower lip to smother the groans, determined not to give the Germans the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt. Beside him he could feel Hitch flinch as boots connected with his body. Troy felt a brief sense of pride that his driver had not made a sound since being loaded into the truck. The Germans may have won this round, but it wasn't over until it was over.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 6

The truck stopped and the German soldier filed out the back. Troy and Hitchcock were left alone in the truck. The sergeant could hear the sounds of a lot of feet and what sounded like barrels being banged together. He realized that they had been taken the very base that they had been seeking. The sounds they heard were the sounds of a convoy being loaded with supplies to be delivered to the German defenders.

A new voice shouted nearby and the truck rocked as soldiers climbed over the tailgate. The blindfolds were removed and Hitch and Troy were pulled to their feet. One of the guards pushed Hitchcock forward and he fell on his face before they remembered to cut the ropes on his ankles. The soldiers laughed as they cut Troy free and pushed both prisoners out the back of the truck. More guards helped them to the ground where they faced a German colonel.

The Colonel eyed them critically, noting their disheveled appearance. He barked something at the guards that had them snapping to attention with wooden expressions. A few more gruff commands and the prisoners were escorted across the open area to the mouth of a moderate sized cavern.

Troy noted the heavy material hanging over the entrance, blocking any light from getting out. A second curtain prevented any light from showing when the first was pushed aside. Troy noticed that the guards were careful to move only one curtain at a time.

The inside of the cave was illuminated by dim lanterns, casting enough light to see but still leaving the interior gloomy. The shadows left by the lighting moved eerily as the flames flickered. The prisoners were led down a narrow corridor that led to another small cavern. The Germans had converted the final small room-like opening into a cell. Iron bars had been cemented into the surrounding walls and the door now stood open, waiting for its next occupants. With one final shove, the two Americans were forced into the room and the heavy metal door clanged shut behind them. The key turned easily in the well-oiled lock as it clicked in the quiet of the corridor. The two prisoners spun to face the door and watch the guards go back out through the same corridor they had entered.

The cell was even darker than the hallway. Two rickety cots were place along one wall with a few musty blankets folded on top. In one corner sat an earthen jug that Troy discovered contained water. Another jug in the other corner turned out to be a chamber pot, unemptied after the last occupant had departed.

"Home sweet home." Hitchcock wrinkled his nose in disgust. Opening the chamber pot had allowed the odor to escape and now the entire cell smelled like an old outhouse.

Troy grunted an tried one of the cots, grunting as he threw his arms out to catch his balance. The cot shifted under his weight, threatening to dump him to the ground. The jerk forced a gasp from his lips as the broken bones grated together; Hitchcock was at his side in an instant, a look of concern on his face.

"You okay Sarge?"

"Fine." Troy growled. "Find a way out of here and I'll race you to our lines."

Hitch smiled half-heartedly and glanced around the cell. "There's a window up there." He pointed toward the ceiling to a hole that may or may not have led to the outside. Either way, there were bars on that opening too. The hole was a good twenty feet up and there was no way to climb up to it. Hitchcock was staring at it but Troy knew they would never reach it without a rope.

"See any other way out?"

The blond shook his head. "They took my knife so I don't have any weapons."

"We're going to have to find a way to take the guard. Get some rest, there's too much activity out there right now to do anything."

The young private nodded and stretched out on the other cot. His soft snores soon echoed through the cavern. The sergeant used his handkerchief as a sling and used it to support his left arm; the broken collar bone felt better without the arm moving all the time. Taking his own advice, he relaxed onto the cot to take a nap himself.

The arrival of the guards woke them both. The cell door was opened and the guards rushed Hitch before he could get to his feet. One held a rifle on Troy as his driver was pulled from the cell. He listened anxiously as the cavern returned to its eerie silence.

There was s faint strip of light coming in through the window by the time Troy heard the guards returning. He had paced the cell for hours awaiting the return of his driver. A light breeze caught the fabric on the window allowing a bit more light to come in. He was watching the breeze move the fabric when he heard the returning footsteps. Troy jumped to his feet, trying to hide his concern for the youth. Facing the door, he waited for them to come into sight.

Four soldiers appeared in the narrow corridor dragging a limp form between them. Troy rushed forward but the guards ordered him back. He watched helplessly as they dropped the unconscious private on the cold stone floor. As he took a step closer the four Germans rushed him. One of them grabbed his arm, jerking it savagely. He sagged to his knees in pain, trying to fight their pull. Too weak to fight all four of them, he was pulled from the cell and hustled down the corridor. The cell door slammed shut behind him and he was led from the cave.

They took him to the entrance of another cavern. This one, also covered by the heavy curtains, was smaller than the first; or perhaps it was the wall of filing cabinets that made it appear smaller. Troy was tied to a wooden chair and surrounded by guards. The Colonel waited until he was secured before he approached. Troy watched him through lowered lashes, trying to appear injured.

"I wish to know about the new offensive."

Troy shook his head. "You and me both, I don't know anything about any new offensive." A fist cracked into his cheek.

"Your private spoke about one earlier."

"I don't know anything about any new offensive." This time the fist punched him hard in the stomach.

"Don't play games with me Sergeant, your private admitted to hearing rumors."

"they're just rumors. Nobody believes rumors." Another blow to his face, splitting his lip.

"Tell me the rumors."

"I don't listen to rumors. I tell my men not to listen to rumors. I told them that someday those rumors would get them into trouble; looks like I was right." A back-handed slap to the other cheek.

"Where are your companions?"

"I told you, they probably got lost, Tully's compass was broken."

The beating went on until Troy lost consciousness. They tried to wake him but gave up after a while; the Colonel ordered him returned to his cell. Guards grabbed his arms and dragged him back to the cell and dumped him next to the still unconscious private.

"Well?" the Colonel looked toward the back of the cavern where the shadows were darkest. A tall form straightened from a chair and stepped into the light.

"Perhaps he is telling the truth about the offensive. Sergeant Troy is not the type to believe in rumors. Perhaps they were even searching for a place to put a base. Sergeant Moffitt, the other sergeant in this unit, would certainly be useful in that respect." The tall officer hesitated.

"Go on Captain Dietrich. I can hear a 'but' in your voice."

"The part about Sergeant Moffitt and his driver getting lost….that is completely false. I wouldn't believe it for a second. I believe that it is entirely possible that they found a way to warn them somehow so that they would not fall into your trap. They are not easily fooled; they are extremely suspicious of everything. I believe that Sergeant Moffitt and his driver are even now out there looking for a way to rescue these two."

"Huh!" The Colonel found the idea amusing. "Two men against an entire base full of German soldiers; they wouldn't have the nerve to try!"

"If you believe that then you don't know them very well Colonel." The Captain observed.

"Let me worry about them Captain; you just get that convoy through to our troops. The Americans are pressing them hard and they need these supplies."

"I'll do my best Colonel."

"Good, good. I suggest that you get some sleep Captain, you'll need to take this convoy out before midnight if you want to get there before daylight. We still have a few more trucks to load. I will send someone to wake you when the trucks are ready. I want you far away from here by morning; there can be no sightings of trucks or tracks if we are to remain a secret base."

The Captain saluted and accepted his dismissal. He hurried along the covered passage to his own temporary quarters. He needed to get some sleep and be gone before the rest of the Rat Patrol showed up to prove him right. The Colonel wasn't taking the threat seriously and Dietrich knew just where that would lead.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 7

Tully Pettigrew followed Jack Moffitt through the scrub brush along the crest of the mountain. Below them they could see the Germans starting to move about as darkness settled over the valley. A truck pulled out from under some camouflaged netting near the openings for one of the caves. There were angry shouts and the truck was quickly covered again. Tully heard Moffitt chuckle and he looked to the sergeant for an explanation.

"Someone got in a rush to start and they moved that truck into the open before it was fully dark. Whoever ordered that will be getting chewed out before too long. They're very careful not to show any activity during the daylight hours."

"That's why our guys haven't been able to find any sign of the base." It made sense to Tully, the base blended into its surroundings during the day. With no equipment in sight and no movement, it was no wonder the planes hadn't been able to locate it.

"Easy now Tully, there's a guard up ahead. I spotted him earlier today while I was on watch."

Tully nodded. "I saw them change guards just as it was getting dark. There's another one over there." Tully pointed toward some rocks just past where the first guard post was located.

Moffitt raised an eyebrow, he hadn't seen the second one and he had spent much of the day looking for them.

"You take this one Sarge, I"ll get the other one. I only saw two when they changed the guards." Tully put his face close to Moffitt to whisper in his ear. Sounds carried on the desert, especially at night, and they couldn't afford to be discovered.

Moffitt nodded and began to pick his way silently toward the sentry. He wasn't sure how Tully was going to get close to the second guard since there was very little cover in front of the guards position. Trusting the younger man to deal with the problem, he dropped to his stomach to slither closer to his target.

The German guard was not expecting anything to pop up in front of him during his shift, especially not a knife wielding ghost in a British beret. One moment he was sitting in the dark, dreaming of his upcoming leave, and the next it was all over. His head dropped to his chest and he slumped forward, never to dream again.

Moffitt slid into the opening with the body to get out of sight just in case the second guard looked his way. He needn't have worried, Tully was already stuffing the body of the second guard under an over-hanging rock ledge to keep it out of view.

The lanky red-head crossed the distance between them in a crouch. He'd only seen two guards but he wasn't foolish.

"How did you ever get close to that one Tully? I didn't see much cover in front of him."

Tully reached into his coat and pulled out his trusty slingshot. "Used this and a nice little rock. He never knew what hit him." The private slid the primitive weapon back into his coat and nodded toward some rocks further along the trail. "Looks like some kind of window over there Sarge. There's a cloth over it but there is a little bit of light shining around the edges."

Moffitt nodded and the two men made their way toward the suspected window. The sergeant took his jacket off and carefully covered the cloth so it wouldn't let any more light escape. Tully frowned and looked at him in confusion. "I don't want to attract attention by letting the light shine up here for anyone to see."

Tully nodded silently and took up a position where he could stand guard while the sergeant investigated the source of the light.

Moving slowly so he could be sure he wouldn't let the light show, Moffitt leaned over the windows and moved the cloth aside to peer into the room below. Moffitt found himself staring down into a small cavern that appeared natural except for h bars on the opening. The window had bars cemented into the surrounding rock and he could see bars and a door on the only other opening within his line of sight. Moving to the other side of the window, a pair of legs came into view, stretched across a small cot. Since it was obviously a cell, he decided to risk discovery by trying to attract the attention of the cell's occupant. Picking up a handful of small pebbles, he began to toss them at the unidentified legs. It took several tries before the owner of the legs decided to investigate the falling pebbles.

To his relief, when the owner of the legs finally crawled out of the cot and looked up at the window, he recognized him. Mark Hitchcock stared at the window through battered, swollen eyes. Moffitt was about to ask about Troy when the private moved out of his sight.

"Sarge! Hey Sarge!"

Troy opened his eyes to look up at Hitchcock's battered face. He had finally managed to fall asleep after waking from the beating and he wanted to go back to sleep; instead he decided to humor his driver. "Gee Hitch, you look like you walked into the same door that I did."

Hitch smiled crookedly and rubbed his jaw. "Yeah Sarge, I think they knocked a tooth loose."

"I hope we get the chance to take that door clear off its hinges." Troy grumbled in sympathy.

"Maybe we will Sarge, Moffitt's out there."

Troy nodded carefully, trying not to move his head too much. "But do they know where we are?"

The blond grinned happily. "Yeah Sarge, he's out there." Hitch waved toward the window.

"Forget the window Hitch, it's too high and we don't have any way to get up there."

"Sarge, Moffitt's at the window."

It took Troy a moment to realize what the private was telling him. When it finally hit him he sat up too quickly and the dizziness made his vision go gray. "Keep an eye out for the guard."

The blond nodded and went to lean on the bars next to the door. He kept his eyes on the corridor as he listened to the conversation from within the cell.

Troy shuffled over to where he could look up at the window. Moffitt's face, gleaming white in the darkness, stared back at him.

"You both look terrible, are you okay?"

Troy smiled at the remark before he grimaced in pain. "We'll live. I guess you found the place okay, now what?"

"Now I'd say we break you out and leave a few bombs in your place." The Brit began to examine the cement holding the bars on the window in place. "We have some rope in the jeep that we can use to pull you out. The only problem is getting these bars knocked loose; it might prove to be a noisy bit of work."

"Blow it." Hitch suggested from his place by the door.

"Too noisy lad, they'd hear it and be here before we could get you clear."

"Not if there were other explosions at the same time."

Troy turned to look at his driver.

"Moffitt and Tully could plant some charges to start a few rockslides. A little charge here would hardly be noticed in all that chaos." Hitch turned back to watch the corridor as Troy turned the idea over in his mind.

"Moffitt, do you have the explosives from your jeep available?" Troy stared up at the face above him.

Moffitt nodded. "The jeep's close by and all the charges are still there. Tully could have them back here in five minutes, ten at the most."

"Tell him to bring everything, we're going to light up this whole mountain." Troy told him with a wicked grin.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 8

"Here they are Sam, everything we have available."

"Keep them up there; toss us a couple of knives. When I tell you, lower the charges on a rope. Hold on to a couple of them; you and Tully can start a few of those rockslides that Hitch mentioned."

Two knives landed on the cot as Moffitt reached through the window to toss them.

"Hitch, dump the water into the chamber pot."

The blond wrinkled his nose. "All of it Sarge?"

"All of it."

Moffitt drew back from the window as the smell escaped from the pot. Hitch was gagging by the time he'd emptied the water jug.

"Okay, now call the guard and ask for more water."

"I don't have to dump that into the pot too, do I?"

Troy smiled. "No, we just need the guards to come back here so we can use the knives."

Hitch nodded his understanding. Leaning on the wall by the door with the empty water jug by his feet, he began to shout for the guards . "Water! Water! We need more water!"

A guard rushed down the corridor and waved a gun at him. Hitch ignored it to keep calling for water. Pretending to be off balance, he indicated the empty water jug with a wave of his hand and a wobbly step toward the jug.

The guard waved the gun at him again but Hitch still ignored it. A second guard rushed down the corridor to ask the first guard what was happening. Hitchcock wobbled on his feet and motioned toward the water jug again.

Troy sat on his cot and watched the performance. He had to admit, if he hadn't just seen the blond walk across the room, he'd believe that the private was too weak to stand without support.

The guards eyed Troy before turning to the noisy blond. Troy sat still and watched. One guard pulled a ring of keys from his belt and fumbled for the one that fit the door. When the door swung open the first guard went after Hitch, swinging his rifle stock to hit the injured prisoner. The stock of the rifle landed where he aimed but his target was no longer there; Hitch had seen it coming and ducked out of the way.

The second guard jumped in to help his friend only to discover that he suddenly had a knife protruding from his chest. Hitch caught the first guard around the neck and snapped it before he could call for help.

The dead guards were pulled into the darkest corner of the cell and left where they couldn't be seen unless someone opened the door. Troy quickly hid their weapons under the blankets on the cots.

"Okay Moffitt, drop the charges."

The bundle dropped almost immediately since the British sergeant had been waiting for the order.

"You know Troy, if you put those guards in your cots and cover them, they might be mistaken for you. They're not quite as beat up but I suppose you could hide their faces." Moffitt hid his grin as he teased the other sergeant. The trick might buy them a little more time if anyone came to check on the prisoners.

Troy looked up, startled that he hadn't considered that option. Admitting to himself that he was still a little disoriented, he nodded agreement. He motioned for Hitch to help him move the bodies to the cots. They covered them up to their ears with the blankets; hopefully new guards wouldn't realize that both men in the cots had dark hair. After the beatings it was unlikely that anyone would question their lack of response if they were called.

"Okay. Hitch and I will set the charges down here. We'll get the fuel and the ammo at least. Moffitt, you and Tully set the charges for those little rock slides that Hitch mentioned. Maybe you can close up one or two of the smaller caves. Time the window to blow at the same time. Make sure you tie the bars so don't they fall in here, they might look up. And Moffitt…. try not to cave the roof in on us."

"I shall try old man, but I can't make any promises." Moffitt's grinning face disappeared from the window.

Troy was about to call him back when Tully's face appeared in the window. "You guys be careful."

"We will Tully." Troy assured him. "Just tell that mad bomber to set the charges to blow an hour from right now." Troy glanced at his watch, noting the exact time; Hitch and Tully did the same.

"Gotcha Sarge. See you in an hour." Tully left the curtain drop back into place, leaving Troy and Hitch alone.

"Let's shake it, we only have an hour."

Hitchcock nodded and followed him silently out the door, locking it behind them.

Working as a team, the two men skirted from shadow to shadow, searching for the caverns that contained the ammunition and the fuel. Luckily for them, the work crews had finished loading those items on the convoy and had moved on to other caves. They were working feverishly to get the convoy loaded so it could leave as soon as possible. Troy and Hitch were able to get into the caves they wanted since the crews were busy elsewhere. They busied themselves setting the timers and hiding the explosives where they would not easily be found.

"Hey Sarge!" Hitchcock's excited whisper drew Troy away from the box of grenades he'd found.

"What did you find?"

Hitchcock held up the bags of explosives that had been stored in their jeep when they were captured.

Troy smiled, with only half the charges they had started out with, they'd only been able to target the most immediate threats; now they had the full amount of explosives they needed. Holding the bag in his hand, his eyes glittered as he looked at his driver. "Do you think we can get close to that convoy before it pulls out?"

Hitchcock considered the question seriously. Remembering the way the convoy was spread out, he nodded. "We could reach the ones already loaded but I doubt that we could get them all."

"The ones that are loaded are the fuel and ammo trucks. I don't care about the food or medical trucks, let them go through."

Hitchcock smiled at the idea, "Let me get the charges ready. How long do you want to set the timers for?"

In the end they gave the trucks an hour just like the others. They didn't want to give the convoy commander a warning and time to find the charges and disarm them."

They set the last charge as the convoy drivers began to climb into their trucks. Troy ducked behind some crates to let the drivers pass. He looked around for Hitch but the blond was nowhere to be seen. He was surprised when he heard a familiar voice call to the drivers; Captain Dietrich walked in front of his hiding place to join the convoy. The tall Captain mounted the first halftrack in line and put his headset over his ears. Assuming command of the convoy, he ordered the trucks to form up and pull out. They dropped their rakes and amid the dust and noise, they departed on their journey. Troy smiled at the surprise they had left for the Captain. Fading into the shadows, Troy glanced at his watch and scanned the area for Hitch; they had ten minutes to get back to the cell before the first charges detonated. After that they had an additional half hour to get clear before the entire base blew up. Now that the convoy was gone, the guards might be missed; they needed to return to the cell. Hitch appeared from around a corner with a smile on his face.

"Where have you been? And stop smiling, those white teeth can be seen real well in the dark." Troy growled at his driver more out of frustration than out of anger. Sometimes the kid could be reckless, like now, running off when they needed to get back to their cell.

They hurried back to the cell and hid the bodies of the dead guards in the shadows again. Hitch locked the door and pocketed the keys. Staying near the wall, away from the window, they counted down the minutes until the first blasts.

The timing wasn't perfect, there was a ten second delay between the first and second blast. Troy couldn't complain though, the second one blew at exactly the same time as their window. The next one was a few seconds late.

The sound of feet running toward them sent Troy and Hitchcock rushing to their cots. They were climbing out of them when an officer and some guards reached the door of their cell. The officer peered into the cell, watching the prisoners wipe dust from their hair.

"What's going on? You gotta get us out of here; the roof's going to collapse!" Troy looked wildly around the room at all the stones that had fallen.

"Where are your guards?"

"Forget the guards, get us out of here!" Troy cried in a panic.

"Where are the guards?" The officer repeated.

"How would we know? They probably ran when the ceiling started to fall. I know I would have if I wasn't stuck I here." Troy's belligerent tone seemed to convince the officer. He rattled the door to make sure the lock was holding before he sent his men scurrying on some errand or other. "Hey! Hey! What about us?" Troy yelled at his back. His amused laughter was the only answer Troy got. Troy grinned at the sound, knowing that they would have the last laugh.

"Moffitt! Moffitt!" Troy was answered by the appearance of the British sergeant's face at the window. "Pull those bars free and get us out of here."

Tully appeared beside Moffitt and the two of them pulled the bars free of the opening. Tully dropped a heavy coil of rope into the cell and anchored the end to a boulder.

Troy watched the rope drop and thought of his broken collar bone. "Hitch, you go first."

Mark Hitchcock hesitated and glanced toward the door.

"Leave me the keys. I can't climb, I'll try to make it out the front."

"No!" The blond was prepared to refuse the order.

"That's an order Hitch!"

"I'll go first Sarge," The blond agreed, "but you come up after me."

"Hitch, I can't climb with this broken collar bone. Just get going."

Hitchcock stubbornly shook his head. "I'll go up first. Once I'm up, you tie a loop in the end and put your foot in it. You can hold on with one hand. Moffitt, Tully and I can pull you up. I'm not leaving you go out the front alone."

Troy licked his lips, he didn't really want to go out the front. "Okay Hitch, get up here, I'll be right behind you."

Hitchcock hesitated to study his face. Satisfied, he turned and began to climb the rope hand over hand. He was half way up when he felt the rope tighten below him. Increasing the pace despite the pain in his ribs, he reached for Moffitt's hand to help him the last few feet.

With the three of them pulling, Troy felt like he was flying toward the window. In no time at all he was at the top where eager hands helped him through the opening. He was grinning when they pulled him out.

"What's so funny?" Tully ask, amused.

"I took the time to put our friends back in the cots. If they come to check we'll be sound asleep in our beds."

Moffitt laughed, "That should fool them, and if it doesn't, they'll think that you went out the front door."

"Now as long as they don't manage to get any warnings out by radio, we may just get the whole works." Troy grinned at his team and headed for the jeep.

"They won't Sarge." Hitch sounded confident.

"Do you know something that I don't?" The sergeant demanded.

"Yeah Sarge." Hitch stopped to explain as everyone looked at him. "I cut about six feet of wire right out of the middle of their radio antennae. They can check both ends and everything will check out just fine. And when the second group of charges go off, that radio is history, I had one charge left and I rolled it under the cabinet right next to the radio."

Troy laughed, regretting scolding the youth for disappearing. "Let's shake it. This mountain is going to fall apart in the very near future."


	9. Chapter 9

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 9

The explosions were a complete surprise. The convoy was rolling along smoothly, no sign of trouble, and then suddenly all hell broke loose. The fuel and ammunition trucks began going off like an American Fourth of July.

He ordered everyone to separate the trucks and abandon them until they were sure there were no more explosives. The first round of detonations seemed to be the only ones. He counted the trucks by the light of the fires. A full two thirds of his trucks were now hunks of burning scrap. The most valuable portion of his load was gone. Calling to the radio operator, he tried to report the destruction of his cargo to the Colonel at the base.

"I'm sorry Captain, I can't raise the base. They seem to be having radio troubles." The radio operator eyed the Captain uneasily.

"That's alright private, I'm afraid that right about now the radio is the least of their troubles." The Captain stared out over the desert searching for the glow in the sky that he was sure he would find. A few minutes later, he saw it, a series of bright flashes followed by a warm red glow in the night sky where the base should be.

"Private."

"Yes Sir?"

"Radio our base and report that the Colonel's base has been located by the enemy and destroyed. Report our losses as well." He added as an afterthought.

"Who could have done this Captain? No one has been near the trucks except the drivers since we left the Colonel's base." His second in command arrived with a tally of their losses.

"I'm sure that the charges were placed in the trucks before we left the base Lieutenant. Even now, the Colonel's base is burning." He pointed to the glow in the night sky.

"But how Captain? How could anyone find that base, let alone get inside to destroy it?"

"I'm afraid that the Colonel himself is responsible Lieutenant. I tried to warn him but he refused to listen. He took two of the saboteurs to the base himself and led the others to it. Remember this Lieutenant, if you remember nothing else I tell you, never underestimate the Rat Patrol. The Colonel did and he has paid with his base and who knows how much more." The Captain stood contemplating his next move while the convoy reformed and waited for his orders. "Lieutenant, take the convoy on to its destination. I will take my halftrack and one other and see if there is anything that we can do to help the base."

"Yes Sir." The Lieutenant saluted and called the men to order. He guided the convoy toward the beleaguered troops while Dietrich returned to the secret base.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 10

"I say we go back for our jeep Sarge. The Colonel will be mad if we come back without it." Mark Hitchcock was siding with Tully on the decision to return to the base. Tully wanted to send rockslides down to seal the caves permanently so the Germans could never use the again.

"Forget the jeep Hitch. The point is, did we do enough damage to guarantee that they won't be able to resupply that division that the Fifth is facing? The Fifth is counting on us to do the job right." Troy stood in front of his team moderating the discussion.

"We won't know that unless we go back to check." Moffitt, always the voice of reason, pointed out. "We could always observe from a distance now that we know where the base is located."

Troy looked at the three faces watching him expectantly. "Oh alright, we'll go back and see how much damage we managed to do. After all, they won't be expecting us to return this soon."

The four of them piled into the single jeep to return to the German base. Long before they arrived they could smell the smoke from the explosions. Trucks were on fire as well as the curtains that had blocked the light from escaping the caves. Troy, using binoculars, surveyed the damage with satisfaction.

"You did a good job planting those charges. It looks like two of the smaller caverns were buried completely. The explosions destroyed a couple more. Looks like we got everything." '

"What are they loading into that truck on the right?" Moffitt had his glasses focused on a truck in front of one of the smaller caves that hadn't been damaged.

Troy swung his glasses to take a look and swore softly under his breath. "Looks like 88 shells, lots of them. They could do a real number on our guys." He watched as a steady stream of workers carried their deadly cargo from the cave to the truck. "I guess we go back in." He said with a sigh. "We'd better get that cave before it gets light. This desert is going to get hot tomorrow when the krauts come looking for us."

"What about the truck Sarge?" Mark Hitchcock ask quietly, thinking of the American troops that would be facing the big guns. If that truck got through, a lot of American soldiers would die.

"Moffitt, you and Tully go after the truck. Make sure it doesn't get through. Hitch and I will go after the cave. We need to destroy the rest of the shells they have in there."

"Right." Moffitt acknowledged. "Are you sure you won't need help?"

"Are you? That truck is going to be heavily guarded. You'll be out there with no back-up."

"Right you are. We'll try to survive if you two do the same." The Brit admitted with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Take care Jack. We'll meet at the wadi where we were taken prisoner."

Moffitt nodded, his face clouded with concern. When his eyes met the calm brown ones of his driver, he saw the same worry reflected there. Apparently no one was too happy with the arrangements. "You be careful too Troy."

Tully took the glasses and studied the base as the truck fired it engine to leave. He took note of a bent bumper on the truck, filing the information away for future reference in case they should need a way to identify the truck. Moffitt called and they climbed into their jeep to stop the delivery.

Both teams watched the other until they were out of sight, neither knowing what the morning would bring.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 11

The truck pulled out along with some other vehicles about an hour before daylight. It was guarded by two halftracks and two patrol cars and accompanied by several other trucks that had somehow survived the attack.

Tully followed the course Moffitt had mapped out to get them ahead of any trucks leaving the base. Troy had ordered that they not attack right away because he didn't want the base alerted to their continued presence.

Tully sat relaxed in his seat and let his body roll with the bumps. The rough terrain would have slowed a convoy to a crawl. The big trucks would have been thrown all over by the dips and ridges they were crossing. Tully expertly guided his small vehicle around the worst ones while keeping his eyes on the ground to watch for any rocks that could rip the bottom out of his jeep.

Moffitt scanned the desert for any enemy patrols or signs of danger. He glanced at the sky from time to time, half expecting the Germans to send planes to clear the way for the convoy. As long as it stayed dark the planes would have a hard time spotting a small jeep travelling near the dunes, but once the sun came up, the odds would reverse rather quickly.

Tully drove silently, not distracting the Englander from his watch. Occasionally he glanced at a compass in his fist, making sure that he didn't wander off course. The convoy was small but it was vital that they stop the 88 shells from reaching the German guns. Moffitt knew which truck to target and, if that was the only one they managed to stop, Tully would be satisfied.

Despite the fact that they were the enemy, he really had no wish to deny them food or medical supplies. And he had spent too many cold nights on the desert shivering to begrudge them blankets or warm clothing either. With only one jeep, this was going to have to be a lightning fast hit and run to avoid all the protection assigned to the convoy.

The glint of moonlight on a windshield drew his attention. They were only five miles from the base, too close to attack just yet. The last thing they wanted was for a wounded convoy to limp back into the base while Troy and Hitchcock were still there. Tully got Moffitt's attention and wheeled his jeep behind a low ridge.

Moffitt jumped to the ground with his binoculars in hand to climb to the top of the ridge to watch the column. Tully waited patiently, ready to leave the moment the sergeant gave the word.

"They're moving fairly fast for traveling after dark. I'd say plant some explosives in the road ahead and try to take out some of their protection but we used it all." Moffitt chewed his lower lip in thought.

"We only really need to get that one truck Sarge." Tully pointed out.

"But it's in the middle of the convoy Tully." Knowing that Tully had something on his mind, Moffitt waited for him to explain.

"What if we came down in the middle of the convoy, hit that one truck and kept going?"

"I know you can handle the jeep going down the side of a hill in loose sand, but how do you plan to go up the other side without any traction? Have you got some new trick that I don't know about?" Getting stuck going up the hill or rolling the jeep would be a death sentence for both of them.

"Naw, nothing like that Sarge." His driver grinned. "It's just that I remember this road. Ahead about six, seven miles is a sharp bend where the road is narrow. I remember that there are steep hills on both sides but one of them has a cut in the middle that would give us a way to get clear of the convoy. We could use that cut to get us around the base of the hills and back out into the desert. I figure that we could come down the steep side and hit them and then duck into the cut. All we have to do is let the lead halftrack get around the bend before we start our attack. Quick in, quick out." Tully grinned. "The dunes could protect us until we can make our getaway." He looked expectantly at his sergeant.

"Do you know for sure that that cut is there and it opens into the desert?"

"Saw it myself and I thought at the time that it would make a good ambush point." Tully answered confidently.

Moffitt made a face. "Okay Tully." He gave his approval. "Show me this spot. We should be able to beat them there with enough time to set everything up and cover our tracks to the hills. We need to check that cut out completely; with the odds we'll be facing, we can't afford any surprises."

Tully nodded and put the jeep in gear.

When the convoy reached the bend, Tully had his jeep parked on the back side of the hill, near the top. Moffitt was sprawled on his stomach watching the convoy approach. The convoy was in the same formation, leaving their target near the front of the line. Thankfully the spacing between the trucks had grown since leaving the base, giving the lead halftrack plenty of distance on the first truck. As the halftrack rounded the bend, Moffitt slithered backwards and ran for his jeep.

Tully hit the gas and the jeep shot forward as soon as Moffitt grabbed the handles of the 50. It cleared the top of the ridge and went airborne before dropping onto its wheels and digging into the sand. The little vehicle roared toward the surprised Germans, gaining momentum with the help of the steep slope.

Moffitt clung to the handles of the heavy machine gun and waited. Once the jeep landed and he regained his balance, he opened fire on the patrol car behind the trucks. His goal was to put them out of action so they would be unable to follow after the attack. His heavy slugs tore into the vehicle and its occupants, bringing it to a rolling stop and blocking the advance of the following halftrack. The patrol car was out of action but with the halftrack stopped too, the aim of its gunners was improved.

Moffitt felt a bullet cut across his calf, throwing him off balance. Another whistled past his head, nearly parting his hair. He spun his 50, taking aim at the truck hauling the 88 shells. The jeep slipped between the vehicles in line and Tully aimed for the cut. As the dunes closed in on their sides, Moffitt squeezed the trigger; a steady stream of bullets raked the side of the loaded truck. The resulting explosion nearly singed Moffitt's eyebrows before Tully whipped the jeep through the cut and wheeled to the left behind the steep slope of sand. Protected by the bank, they could hear more shells exploding and see the shrapnel flying into the sky.

Tully let out a grunt and floored the gas pedal to take them free of the dunes and out into the open desert. They quickly left the burning convoy behind.

At a shout from Tully, Moffitt reached for another belt ammunition for the 50 and inserted it into the ammo box. The other patrol car from the convoy rounded the dunes and gave chase. The slower moving halftrack that had led the convoy appeared a minute later, following the patrol car.

"They look mad Sarge." Tully called over his shoulder.

Moffitt was sure that if a voice could convey a smile, there was one in his drivers comment.

"We don't want them to return to the base so why don't we see if we can discourage them from further hostilities?"

The sun was still minutes from rising and Tully took advantage of that fact. Using the darkness, he drove straight at the patrol car, forcing them to break to the side to avoid a collision, giving Moffitt a clean shot at the occupants. Having performed this maneuver before, neither of them gave the car a second glance; they didn't want to ruin their night vision by staring at the flaming hunk of metal.

The noisy halftrack engine covered the sound of the jeeps' approach. Unlike the Americans, the Germans had watched the patrol car burn, effectively blinding them temporarily. They failed to spot the speeding shadow headed their way.

Tully flashed past the armored vehicle with a hand grenade in his hand. He spit the pin out of his mouth as his right arm rose and fell in an arc. The grenade landed on the floor next to the driver's feet. The grenade Moffitt tossed landed in the back next to the mounted machine gun. As the explosions ripped through the heavy vehicle, Tully wheeled his jeep toward the open desert.

"Are you alright Tully?" Moffitt climbed into the passenger's seat with a sigh of relief. His calf ached where the bullet had left its mark. Reaching down, his fingers came away sticky with blood.

"Caught a little shrapnel is all." Tully responded, making it sound like no big deal.

Moffitt stared at his driver in the darkness and tried to locate the wound. "Where are you hit?"

"In the leg Sarge, it's not bad. It can wait until we check on Troy and Hitch."

"Oh no, we don't!" Moffitt shook his head emphatically. "I got nicked a bit myself, and as much as I want to get back and check on them, we're both going to patch our wounds before we go anywhere."

Tully pulled his jeep into a wadi and faced the sergeant. "Where are you hit?" He forgot his own injury as he looked his sergeant over for a wound.

"Only a nick in my calf Tully. Let's look at you first, come on over here, let me see that leg."

Tully limped around the jeep, stopping only to get a flashlight out of the back. Moffitt took the medical kit from under the seat and spread it over the hood. When Tully stretched his leg toward Moffitt, the English sergeant could see the piece of jagged metal protruding through the pant leg. The wound was still bleeding sluggishly. Carefully he removed the shrapnel, putting pressure on the wound until the bleeding slowed again. Using a pressure bandage, he managed to get the bleeding stopped altogether. He cleaned the wound thoroughly and administered an anti-biotic shot. A dusting of sulfa powder and another layer of gauze and he patted Tully on the shoulder; indicating he was finished. "All done. You're right, it wasn't too bad. I think you'll live." He added with a smile.

"Okay Sarge, your turn."

Tully pulled Moffitt's pant leg up to reveal a deep gash across the back of his calf. The blood had already clotted but it started to bleed again as the cloth was pulled loose. After cleaning it with alcohol and gauze, Tully took a close look before dusting it with the sulfa powder and wrapping it securely. Then he gently pulled the pant leg back down over the white bandages.

"I think you're going to live too Sarge." The private grinned.

"Then I guess we have no more excuses, we should go back and see it Troy and Hitch need any help." He smiled at the younger man.

Tully grinned in return as he tested the bandage on his leg. "I'm ready any time you are Sarge."


	12. Chapter 12

**The Hidden Depot Raid**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 12

"Time to go Hitch."

"What are we going to use for explosives Sarge? We used everything we had with us."

"We'll find something or we can use hand grenades." Troy answered.

Hitch frowned. "That won't give us much time to get clear Sarge."

"You got a better idea?"

The blond shook his head.

"Then we just play it by ear." Troy gave the young private a push. "Let's shake it."

They managed to avoid the guards on their way into the base. Since the attack the guards had shifted their attention from the perimeter of the area to the activity inside the base. With the convoy loaded and gone, the Germans had shifted their focus to salvaging anything of value. Most of what had been stored in the larger caverns had been lost; the explosions and rockslides had buried everything under tons of rock.

Troy led the way to the end of the valley to where their captured jeep was parked. "Keep an eye on the jeep, it's our way out of here. If you see me get into trouble, bring the jeep." Troy waited for Hitch to acknowledge the order. "Keep your eyes open." He cautioned.

"Right Sarge." The blond gripped his gun tighter and slipped into the shadows to wait for the sergeant's return.

Troy made his way toward the cave where the 88 shells were stored. In the dark he almost missed the guard sitting in the rocks next to the cave entrance. Pulling his knife, the sergeant moved in, covering the guard's mouth as he ended his life. He pulled the body deeper into the cave and hid it behind some rocks. Moving even deeper into the cave, Troy stopped in amazement. He didn't know how they'd missed this cavern in the earlier attack but he was glad that they had decided to come back to check on the results. The cavern was piled to the roof with boxes and crates of 88 shells. Determined to destroy the cache, he began to look for anything he could use to fashion a timer. With an explosion as big as this one promised to be, he wanted to be well clear before the cavern blew.

Just by chance he stumbled over a box that looked different from the rest. Using his knife, he pried the lid free. A broad smile covered his face as he pulled the ropes of fuses out of the box. There were no charges he could use but he had an idea. He pulled three hand grenades from his belt and placed them in a row on the floor next to the boxes of 88 shells. Next he pulled a fourth grenade from his belt and carefully wrapped the handle with the fuse. Placing it next to the other grenades, he very carefully pulled the pin. The fuse held the handle tight to the grenade. Once the fuse burned off, the handle would release, and the grenade would explode. Unwinding the length of the fuse, he laid it in a straight line to the entrance to the cave, careful not to dislodge the part wound around the grenade handle. With one final glance at his arrangements, he lit the end nearest him and fled the cave. He hurried to join Hitch, ready to make a run for it during the chaos of the explosion.

"Hitch!...Hitch!" He whispered urgently. Peering into the darkness, he tried to locate his driver.

"Right here Sargeant."

The voice was not that of his driver. Troy spun toward the sound of the familiar voice. The sun was coming up and Hitch stumbled out of the shadows into the faint light in front of the jeep. Troy recognized the tall form behind them.

"Good evening Captain."

"It is for me Sergeant. Your private here was smart enough to surrender when I showed him my gun." The captain smiled at the sergeant. "Do I need to show it to you too?"

"No thanks Captain, I have one of my own."

"But we have two." Captain Dietrich nodded toward the jeep where a youthful looking soldier had climbed up behind the machine gun and was gripping the handles nervously. "And I do believe that ours is bigger." Dietrich smiled again and shoved Hitchcock from behind. The blond caught his balance and turned to stand next to Troy.

"Sorry Sarge."

"Forget it Hitch. What we have here is a nice little Mexican stand-off. The Captain has a gun and I have one too. I like my chances."

"You are forgetting something aren't you Sergeant?" Dietrich tilted his head toward the soldier standing at the bid gun. He frowned as he watched Troy; there was something about the sergeants' attitude that wasn't right.

"Sorry Captain, did I forget to mention that Hitch took the firing pin out of that gun? He didn't like the looks of those two guys we picked up. It turned out to be a wise decision, they tried to shoot him with that very gun before they took us both prisoner. I'm afraid your man won't be able to help you much with that weapon." Troy grinned at Dietrich. "So what's it going to be Captain?"

"I'll call for help." The German bluffed.

"And I'll shoot you and run; I'd have nothing to lose by revealing our presence. You'd only get yourself and your man killed. Are you feeling lucky Captain?"

Dietrich studied Troy's face and was forced to believe his statement.

"Sarge."

"Not now Hitch."

"But Sarge." The blond repeated uneasily.

"Tell your man to get out of the jeep Captain. We take the jeep and you and your soldier get to live another day."

Dietrich eyed the machine gun in the sergeant's hands and compared it to the Luger in his own. The odds were definitely in favor of the Americans. Calling to the soldier in the jeep, he ordered him to climb down. The young soldier did so with reluctance, unable to understand why his captain would give the order.

"Hitch, get behind the wheel." Troy slid into the passenger's seat as Hitchcock took the wheel. "Better luck next time Captain." Troy smiled at the officer and saluted casually. A moment later he ducked as his improvised timer released the handle of the hand grenade. The sky lit up with a fireworks display that could be seen for miles. Hitchcock hit the gas and the jeep lurched forward. Dietrich had to throw himself to the side to avoid being run down by the departing vehicle. Dietrich had to remain on the ground as dirt and rocks were thrown everywhere by the exploding shells. The last he saw of the jeep was as it dodged soldiers and rocks to race past the perimeter guards.

Hitch drove straight to the wadi where they were to meet Moffitt and Tully. The other jeep hadn't returned yet so he parked and shut off the engine. Both men sighed in relief to be free of the German base.

"Sarge." Hitch hesitated, not sure how to continue.

Troy, thinking that the private was going to apologize again for letting Dietrich get the drop on him, cut him off. "Why don't you replace that firing pin now? If we run into trouble, we may need that gun working."

"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier Sarge." Hitch explained, embarrassed. "While I was waiting for you, I replaced the firing pin just in case we needed the 50 to cover our escape."

"You mean that gun is in working order?"

"Yeah Sarge." Hitch nodded . "I tried to tell you."

Troy shook his head, not sure what to say. "Well, at least Dietrich didn't know either." He finally managed to see the humor in the situation.

Hitch gave him a small, shy smile. "You had me worried for a minute there Sarge. I thought you were going to push Dietrich to try it." He relaxed at the sergeant's reaction.

"I'll bet." Troy grinned at him. The sound of the other jeep approaching interrupted the moment. Both men turned to watch as the second jeep rolled into the wadi. There was a flurry of concern until it was established that neither man had sustained any serious injury. They exchanged a quick rundown of their successful missions that left everyone feeling triumphant but tired. "Let's go home." Troy finally stated. "This has been one heck of a night and I want to get home before anything else goes wrong." The sergeant glanced at his driver. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Hitchcock dropped his head and responded in a low voice. "No Sarge, that's everything."

Troy nodded and as the others looked on in confusion, he headed for his jeep and settled into the passenger's seat. "Okay, shake it!"


End file.
